Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the scheme would be undertaken together with the human resources and tourism and culture ministries, under the National Logistics Task Force.

He said the transport ministry had already trained 1,000 lorry drivers under the Human Resources Development Fund.

“Now, we are looking into training bus drivers under the same fund,” he told reporters here today.

Liow was commenting on a call by the Pan-Malaysian Bus Operators Association that the ministry and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) provide free courses for bus drivers.

The association had said there was a yearly shortage of 3,000 bus drivers.

Yesterday, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said younger drivers might be interested in becoming bus drivers but they could not afford to obtain a licence because it was very expensive at RM2,000.

On the rise of foreigners illegally operating heavy vehicles in Selangor, Liow urged the public to report such cases and the Road Transport Department would nab these foreign drivers.